Collage of Favorite Youth Retreat Photos
I have taken what seems like a lot of photos over the course of my life, and I wanted to share the stories behind nine of my favorites from youth retreats. I realize nine is an odd number, and was going to do ten, but decided that number ten will actually be another blog talking about photographing youth group retreats, so come back after the weekend for my pick from High Definition 2009.
9. Youth Under Umbrella
Youth Under Umbrella
The thing that I enjoy about this picture is actually the lack of cohesion. The environment, and the individual faces are not similar, and separately they would each make perfectly good photos. However, the discontinuity of this photo seems to draw together the group into what makes youth retreats great: unity between a diversity of people.
The flash didn’t drown out the faces as much as many others that I shot around the same time, and so the contrast between the night and the focus of the photo isn’t overly lit. Overall this is just a picture that I like to look at.
8. Light in a Dark Place
Door to Worship Barn
There were a number of shots that I took inside the barn, but as I came outside I really liked how the light was coming out. As is the case at many retreats, the students had a time to pray, while the Catanzaro’s played music. Once again, the contrast of the surroundings with the focal point of the picture is probably what I appreciate most about this shot.
7. Student Life Studying
Studying at Student Life Camp
Retreats and camps aren’t only fun, they are also a good time to study God’s word, and enjoy a little mental exercise in developing your faith. The vast majority of pictures that I have from retreats end up being the times when people are having fun with activities or break time, but there is something vitally important in our ability to spend time with the Lord. Capturing study moments is easy enough to do, but the location of this shot is probably what makes me like it. Unconventional seating is the norm at a retreat, and often times students find the most odd places for their studies. The softness of the light and the reflection off the floor gives this picture a good overall balance. I think the one thing I would change or crop out of it would be the guy at the top, whose blue shirt is a little distracting to the overall balance of the shot.
6. “I’m Going to be Sick”
Eating games are all the rage
If there is one thing that is expected at nearly any youth event it is something to eat. In many cases the treats are simply items to encourage participation like pizza or snacks. However, there is also an unwritten rule that youth leaders should include some type of activity where eating or drinking is used as a challenge either in quantity, speed, or gross-factor. This picture pretty much sums up what most participants are thinking who just happened to end up getting this leg of the relay, “I think I’m going to be sick.” Emily’s face is what makes this shot one of my favorites. The laid-back attitude of the others behind her don’t correspond to the look of tension on her face. Luckily her soft features make the somewhat harsh lighting a little more diffuse, and the eye is immediately drawn to her, while still allowed to take in the rest of the scene.
5. Composite Group Photo
Group shot at Disciple Now weekend
This shot is not necessarily the best group photo or the best photo at all, but the one thing I really like about this picture is the process used to create it. When it came time for the group photo I wanted to have room for everyone, and also showcase the church as much as possible. Given a lack of locations and horrible lighting I did the one thing I could think of to redeem the lighting: bracketed photos. I took three photos at different exposure levels, and the sum of the parts was a well balanced picture. The sky, the building, and the people were all taken from separate photos, and cropped (albeit rather poorly on a closer look) to fit together into one relatively well-balanced shot. Overall it was the process and not the photo that really makes me like this one.
4. Extraordinary Lessons
Lesson from the drama team
No retreat would be complete without some type of speaker and lesson, and this photo of the drama team at Student Life Camp will have more meaning to someone who attended than someone who did not. The elements of this picture that I like are the stage lighting giving contrast to the well decorated background, and of course the odd position that the actor is in. The whiteboard in the background may be a little over-exposed, but it seems to draw my eye in and then reflect my gaze back to the actor.
3. Early Morning Smiles
Smiling in the morning
The early morning sun makes for a hard time to get a good shot. Between squinting or harsh shadows across the face, it just isn’t easy to get a good picture in the morning. The inspiring thing about this picture are the smiles. Realizing that these young ladies had just woken up minutes before helps you understand why the smiles have the slight appearance of being forced. This is a natural state during a youth retreat, and the physical exhaustion is only manifested in slight details so as not to reveal to your peers that you would much rather be sleeping. Once again the picture is really saved by the smooth features of the subjects, but there is still a bit of that sun-in-the-eyes squint.
2. Flamboyant Feather Boas
Happy to be all 'doll'ed up
Happiness is usually in abundant supply during a youth retreat. I love this picture because it shows a couple of things about retreats that are very important: friendship and enjoyment. Bonds formed during the short time that is spent at youth events can often blossom into life-long friendships. The exposure of this shot, and the fact that they have flour in their hair makes the faces stand out. They are having a good time, and it shows on their faces, and that is where the eye is drawn.
1. Man of Many Faces
Count on Chip to go all out
This is an epic photograph in my book. It isn’t a complex shot, and really doesn’t have a ton of artistic merit. However, given the fact that I could put together a whole book on the many faces and costumes that this man has put on for the sake of the youth, this picture speaks volumes. Students who have participated in many of our events don’t even realize it, but when Chip gets into character it really opens everyone up because they know that no matter what happens they won’t be mocked for being a little awkward or weird. The clouds in the sky really give focus to the main subject of this photo without being too plain or too distracting. Positioning the camera at chest height gives a good angle on the face and allows for the subject to be the main object in the picture.
Those are a few of my favorites. I have thousands of pictures, and many of those are worth mentioning, so keep an eye out for more Favorite Photos.